Chicagoan here. I grew up in Northern California (moved here for college and have stayed for 15 years). I have nothing but the utmost respect for the environme

Chicagoan here. I grew up in Northern California (moved here for college and have stayed for 15 years). I have nothing but the utmost respect for the environment, for minority rights, and for helping the less fortunate. But here in Shitcago, I get shouted down as a traitorous, MAGA-loving nazi because I criticize the very obvious flaws that we have in our welfare programs, pensions and unions. Welfare cliffs like these ones are borderline inhumane, robbing people of their ability to improve themselves as human beings and to have the self-respect of being a great as they would like to be. We arguably hurt people with these programs, and we PAY TO HURT them. Now this isn't to say that there aren't great programs that we can undertake to help those in need by redistributing wealth in productive ways, but it is not at all clear to me that supporting our current welfare and educational system is at all synonymous with supporting the idea of helping and educating people.